USM Foundation Board - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 27, 2005

RE: USM Foundation Board

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Above the Probe wrote: Then perhaps you will be so gracious as to explain exactly how this process is being kept secret.

Joiner wrote: I went to the USM Foundation's Website and found that it is "administered by a volunteer board of directors." If somebody wants to serve, to whom do they volunteer? The Website information also indicates that the USM Foundation that an "elected" 39-member board of directors governs the corporation. Is the election conducted among those who are currently on the Board? I know about as little now about the mechanism for Board membership as I did when I first accessed their Website.

old probe wrote: Your last sentence does not surprise me at all - this site has been in a state of non-construction for 3 years and it mystifies me how little respect or attention it has received. Practically nothing has been added in all of those years and most links lead you nowhere. During a time when outside funding means everything to the administration and to the USM budget, you would think they would do something to improve the situation. But, no. It's like nobody cares.

Above the probe, be careful what question you ask. Somebody may give you the answer.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

The name "Above the Probe" in the above post should have read "Above the Mire."

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Joiner wrote:

I went to the USM Foundation's Website and found that it is "administered by a volunteer board of directors." If somebody wants to serve, to whom do they volunteer? The Website information also indicates that the USM Foundation that an "elected" 39-member board of directors governs the corporation. Is the election conducted among those who are currently on the Board? I know about as little now about the mechanism for Board membership as I did when I first accessed their Website.

Don't worry about it. Just make it all up to suit your needs like ya'll do most everything else.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Above the Mire wrote:
Don't worry about it. Just make it all up to suit your needs like ya'll do most everything else.

Are you suggesting that their website is inaccurate or that it does not say what it was reported to say? You can check that out easy enough. Take a look at it.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Above the Mire wrote:

Just make it all up to suit your needs like ya'll do most everything else.

I will make it easy for you to begin your verification, dearie, so that you won't get the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) mixed up with the University of Southern Maine (USM) as you search for the elusive information Untitled Document

Date: Jun 27, 2005

That was actually an impressive list of names, although the question of who does the electing is not answered. I note there are several people listed who are truly good friends of the University. There is also one, Ira Middleberg, who I know and can't recall from where (probably a friend of my late sister's) but a person with USM's good at heart. Do these folks elect the executive board from amongst themselves?

Date: Jun 27, 2005

LVN wrote:

Do these folks elect the executive board from amongst themselves?

Emma, don't let the golden goose hit you on the head. You've asked the million dollar question.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

I thought Nicholson's deceased wife was a USM graduate. She died in the 90's and he endowed a sholarship in her name at USM's Foundation. He voted against Dr. Lee at MSU and I have heard he has not been back to Starkville since.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

The Observor wrote:

I thought Nicholson's deceased wife was a USM graduate. She died in the 90's and he endowed a sholarship in her name at USM's Foundation. He voted against Dr. Lee at MSU and I have heard he has not been back to Starkville since.

Careful, now. You wouldn't want to go and ruin this board's reputation by introducing facts.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Above the Mire wrote:

Careful, now. You wouldn't want to go and ruin this board's reputation by introducing facts.

This has to be the most cryptic troll we've yet encountered.

Date: Jun 27, 2005

Below the Muck, good name. "Above the Mire" -- that just means you don't care enough to get down here in the mud and help us get the bus back on the road. Stand off to the side and criticize technique, then expect a free ride back. Don't work that way lovey.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

I do not need to know more about The USM Foundation Board than is starkly evident through casual observation. The Board has shown that it is content with the present environment at USM. An environment that makes it difficult to raise money from potential supporters and one that has seen a decline in the monetary support of faculty and staff. Who they are is less important than what they are doing. Outside of getting more qualified professional management over their endowments recently, I have not seen anything positive, and a great deal of negative. The SFT regime will leave a legacy of anemic fund raising compared to what could have been. Many potential contributors do not know exactly what is gong on at USM, but it does not make them want to contribute money.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

My spouse and I are going to endow a scholarship, but we aren't going to move on it until this regime is gone. I wonder how many others there are who feel the same way.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

Cossack wrote:

I do not need to know more about The USM Foundation Board than is starkly evident through casual observation. The Board has shown that it is content with the present environment at USM. An environment that makes it difficult to raise money from potential supporters and one that has seen a decline in the monetary support of faculty and staff. Who they are is less important than what they are doing. Outside of getting more qualified professional management over their endowments recently, I have not seen anything positive, and a great deal of negative. The SFT regime will leave a legacy of anemic fund raising compared to what could have been. Many potential contributors do not know exactly what is gong on at USM, but it does not make them want to contribute money.

A university's endowment is critical to its academic success. Shelby's inattention to that critical part of his job may be his ultimate legacy and most devastating failure.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

Far Away alum wrote:

My spouse and I are going to endow a scholarship, but we aren't going to move on it until this regime is gone. I wonder how many others there are who feel the same way.

My Father is a native Mississipian and a relatively well-to-do USM alum now in his twilight years. My Mom is an Ole Miss grad. They've already endowed a scholarship at Ole Miss and had plans to establish a similarly funded scholarship at USM, until Shelby Thames came along. Earlier this year my Father altered the provisions of his will, eliminating the monies originally intended to go to USM. Those dollars will now benefit students at another institution, an excellent Liberal Arts college in a neighboring state. Who can blame him?

Date: Jun 28, 2005

Above the Mire wrote:

They don't know how the nominations are made or how the board members are selected.

They infer gender bias, but they don't even know that the immediate past president was a woman.

So, Above the Mire, please enlighten us on how nominations are made. Otherwise, we assume, as we've been told, that Tim Ryan & Shelby sit around wondering who's on their team, then present a list to the foundation board which is basically rubber stamped.

And yes, we do know that the immediate past president was a woman. More on that in a bit.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

Joint Tenant wrote:

... there aren't any females who have the credentials to sit on that board who will do it. I hate to see a "housewife" situation develop on the USM Foundation Board for the sake of diversity.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on this--please do--but I believe that Melanie Hunsberger, the immediate past president, was a "housewife situation," technically an ex-housewife. She also is not an alum of USM.

Since foundation board members reside at least as far from Hattiesburg as New Orleans, Lafayette, Memphis, and Birmingham, and they don't have to be alums, do you suggest that there's not one woman in this 4-state region who is qualified and willing to sit on this most prestigious of boards?

Might I suggest that there are plenty of qualified women out there, but that they were either not invited to the table or are so disgusted by our destructive, chauvinistic, reportedly philandering, red-blooded American male president that they refused to be affiliated with his administration.

Date: Jun 28, 2005

This surprises you? Doesn't surprise many. This is the good old BIDNESS crowd. Aren't we luck to have such an informed leadership at USM?